Cayambe Coca National park is located 75 km to the northeast of Quito, The Cayambe volcano with 5990 meters over sea level, is a unique reserve where you can see condor, pumas, and other animals in an incredible paramo landscape.

Cayambe - Coca Ecological Reserve

The Cayambe-Coca Ecological Reserve is a natural area located 107 kilometers North of Quito. Their main mountains are the Cayambe 5 790 meters, Sarahurco 3 485 meters, Puntas 4 425 meters and the Reventador a young and active volcano.

The Cayambe-Coca Ecological Reserve has one of the biggest biodiversity of Ecuador. It is divided in two parts, the lowland rainforest, located in Napo and Sucumbios and includes the Reventador Volcano, the San Rafael cascade and the community of Cofan de Sinangue. And the montano rainforest or highland that covers the occidental part of the Reserve and it reaches Papallacta in the Pichincha province.

Fauna and Flora

The paramo of the Cayambe-Coca Ecological Reserve is covered mostly of chuquirahuas, moss, romerillos, achupallas and mortiños. Traveling down East in the eastern slope of the mountain range it is found a great biodiversity of flowers. Far from there the vegetation gets denser with bigger trees giving a jungle atmosphere.

The fauna of the Cayambe-Coca Ecological Reserve is diverse it possess 900 species of birds, 110 species of amphibians, 140 species of reptiles and more than 200 mammals.

Among the birds there is the condor, hummingbirds, parrots, toucans, turkey hens, mountain roster, red, black and yellow head gallinazos, and much more.

Within the mammals of the Cayambe-Coca Ecological Reserve there are the small deer and coated bears, in the lower lands we find the tigrillo, guantas, tapir, sacha cuyes, squirrels, bats, monkeys and rats.

Climbing The Cayambe

The Cayambe is technically not very difficult to climb, but it is rather dangerous due to the cravesses and avalanches. The peak is frequently climbed despite its dangerous reputation. Snow storms and high winds are more frequent on Cayambe than on many other mountains. It can be climbed year round, although January is said to be the best period. Its Refuge is at 4 700 meters.